screaming

[trojin]

My girlfriends daughter is three sometimes when its just one of those days when everything's gone wrong that could she screams! To the point that my girl wants to scream. Her little girl is loved an treated with care not misstreated or abused I'm finding myself feeling helpless as we're driving down road ...ears ringing from her screaming ...is it normal for a three yearold to scream. Top of her lungs non stop for 30 mins?

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

It would be very reasonable to decide that she may not ride in your car if she is going to display this sort of behavior. Hopefully her parents will step in to set limits. And if she screams while in your car you can always pull over and say that the car will not be moving until it is quiet. Now, I am saying this with the assumption that she does not display some developmental disorder or other serious emotional disturbance.

[trojin]

I'd tried ...as soon as I spoke she got louder as if I made her madder that it was me ...if my girl or I say a word she gets so bad my ears ring

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

No, it is not normal. But it is not within your power to intervene. Unless, that is, it is happening in your car. Then you can say: "Screaming is not allowed in this car. Stop it." Be sure to get the support of her mother in this limit setting.